Following the footsteps of my friends who came to Solo (Surakarta), Indonesia more than a year ago, I decided to stay at the same place they lodged there, Cakra Homestay which came well recommended. I took an ojek (a motorcycle taxi) from the train station to take me to Cakra Homestay. It wasn’t hard to find on a quiet block in the neighborhood When the doors opened, I admired the 200-year old home brimming with Indonesian style and architecture.
Tag: Culture
Reliving the Panag-apoy, The Festival of Lights in Sagada
I followed a man carrying a bundle of wood the locals call Saleng, a part of a pine trunk which easily ignites when lit. There were already a parade of people making their way to the local cemetery on the afternoon of All Saint’s Day in Sagada. When we reached the cemetery ground, the smoke-filled air and the grounds that looks like they were burning greeted us. It was one of the unique traditions in the mountain province I have first seen 7 years ago. They call the practice Panag-apoy which means to “light a fire”.
Philippine Jeepney Arts Festival and Parade 2012
For at least a couple of hours, people at the streets of EDSA and Ayala Avenue got a surprised and delighted look when they saw a group of colourful and artistic jeeps roam the streets. For a while they stopped what they were doing and stare, take a picture with their mobile phones or simply admire the moving steel canvasses zooming past their sights. About 43 rehabilitated jeeps have undergone a makeover in the hands of a few creative volunteers for the first ever Jeepney Arts Festival. Reviving the Filipinos creativity and ingenuity represented by the Philippine Jeepney.
The Melaka Riverside and the City’s Artistic Flair
I received an invitation from a bunch of young professionals from Melaka, Malaysia to join their “A Date with Bloggers,” an event to showcasing their rich food and culture of Melaka. It’s been almost four years since my last day trip there and since I have a spare ticket to use at that time, I decided to go and possibly explore the area in a few days. From Manila, I flew to the LCCT airport, got on a Melaka bound bus. One and a half hour later, I was at Melaka Sentral. I was met by a young local organiser of the event and took me to my lodge, Sayang-Sayang Guest House which is found on the Melaka Riverside. I explored the back of the guest house and was immediately awed by the sight of the river and rows of houses filled with creative murals. I got a feeling I’m gonna like it here.
Pandan Antique Dioso Library, Bariw Handicrafts and Explosive Sunsets
It all stared with a hungry Spanish explorer landing on the the shores of Pandan Antique. Meeting an Ati local for the first time, he asked if they have food. The Ati pointed to a basket full of Kamote (Sweet potatoes) and said “Dan” which for them meant “that”. In excitement, the Spaniard exclaimed “Pan” which means bread, mistaking the potatoes as bread. It was an amusing play of words between two different culture that gave birth to the name of this place in Antique. Whether this event really is the etymology of its name, one thing is for sure, Pandan is rich in natural attractions and culture.
Batanes: Awed at Torongan Cave and Hills, Itbayat Island
The view of the Pacific Ocean, the deep jagged cliffs from the island where I’m standing and Dinem Island, cutting through the ocean like a knife’s edge was stupendous. Here at the farthest inhabitable, northern island of Itbayat, I’m just lost for words on how I can describe the beauty I’m seeing from Torongan Hills. If I had my way, I can spend an idle afternoon here just looking at the sea and passing clouds. It was one of those moments that I’m so proud of the Philippines for having places like this.
Cotabato City: The Traditional Way of Brassware Making
Many would be familiar with the ancient musical instrument kulintang, consisting of rows of graduated pots laid horizontally in ascending pitch. We admire at its sound that have graced cultural presentations, yet are we aware of how it was made? Kulintang, gongs and even the elaborate designs of a Muslim jar are brasswares popularly made in Mindanao, particularly the oldest city in the region, Cotabato City. I visited Baranggay Kalanganan for the Cotabato Maguindanao Brassware Association Incorporated to see how a community painstakingly continues an age-old tradition, dating back to the Sultanate days, of making high quality brassware.
